Microchipping Your Dog

Losing your pet is a nightmare: the worry and the stress on both owner and dog is tremendous. A panicked dog can travel many miles, get injured, poisoned, or hit by a car. Back in the old days, a poster and phone calls to all the local dog-related professionals (vets, police, animal control officers, shelters, etc) was all an owner could do to try to help retrieve their beloved pet. But microchipping is beginning to change that for the better.



What is Microchipping?

A microchip is a computer chip with an identification number on it, about the size of a grain of rice. The chip is placed inside a glass case that is then inserted into the dog’s back, between the shoulder blades. It stays under the skin for the rest of the dog’s life. The insertion process is usually done by a vet and most people say that the dog barely reacts – it seems like they barely feel it. To "read" the information on the chip, a veterinarian would then wave a scanner over the dog’s back between the shoulder blades, not unlike a handheld scanner on the checkout line at your grocery store. The unique identification number would then be matched with an owner’s name and address in a database and the dog could be reunited with his/her owner.



Addressing Your Obvious Questions

Ok, so it doesn’t hurt the dog, and it could help a lost dog get reunited with his or her owner. This certainly sounds like a no brainer, right? Is there anything wrong with microchipping?



Is there a risk of developing cancer from microchipping? Some studies indicated that laboratory rats and mice developed tumors after being microchipped. And the very idea of implanting anything in a pet doesn’t sit well with some pet owners. However, the British Small Animal Veterinary Association’s (BSAVA) began compiling data on over 3.7 million animals microchipped and they report a total of 2 tumors associated with microchips. That’s 2, out of 3.7 million, in over 10 years. If you had health concerns for Fluffy, this seems pretty compelling that she will be safe.



What about the risk of needing the chip to be removed due to infection or other adverse reaction? In 1996 when the BSAVA began compiling these data, of the nearly 4 million injected pets, 391 were reported to have had adverse events. The biggest complaint was of migration (movement) of the microchip from its original position.

In much fewer instances, other problems, swelling around the injection site, some hair loss and failure of the microchip were reported.



What if something goes wrong when the chip is inserted? While placement of the chip is a relatively minor procedure, removal is a more involved undertaking. The statistics indicate that the risk of this happening for any of the reasons listed above are very low, it is good to at least know that they exist.

Are scanners prevalent enough to be worth the risks of microchipping? Excellent question! What good is a chip if none of the vets or shelters in your area have scanners? While scanners are becoming both more universal and more standardized, as well as being increasingly commonly used, some areas still do not have access to them. Ask around, at your vets, the local animal shelters, the animal control officers in your town and neighboring towns – get a feel for just how ubiquitous they are before you decide whether you want Fluffy or Matthew inserted with one.



Nothing is a Substitute for Common Sense

A responsible dog owner has a collar and identification tags on their dog at all times anyway. Microchipping is not a panacea and it isn’t a substitute for being responsible. Do not let your dog roam free, supervise your dog when not fenced or leashed, and train your dog to come when called. Accidents happen and microchipping can be an additional precaution, helping to prevent a sad and terrible outcome. Be safe and be responsible and hopefully your dog will never need to rely on his or her microchip!



Puppy City has been around for over 50 years, we pride ourselves in being the home for quality puppies for sale in Brooklyn, New York. We also have all of the supplies you will ever need, from dog food, to wee wee pads, to all the treats you will ever need in a lifetime. Visit us at http://www.PuppyCityNY.com